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Squeezed or not?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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S

sai

Active Member
Feb 19, 2012
179
9
33
Last week I got squeezed a bit in the cold lake and had that rattling sound in the lungs when breathing out really deep. I realized that I always had to cough a few dives before I got some blood in my spit (very little). Is a cough reflex already a sign of squeeze or can this just be some mucus that got lose while diving? I'm asking because I nearly always need to cough a bit in every dive session. I'm worried now that I do constant damage to my trachea or lungs.
Depth was never more than 25 meters on full lung, so I really wasn't near RV.
 
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Whenever I start doing dives close to squeeze territory, I develop an urge to cough. Actually getting squeezed, I cough a lot. Everybody is different, but I'd be careful. It sounds like you are pushing it.

I found that fairly extreme dry lung stretching can bring me close to squeeze, but if I keep doing them(carefully so as not to get squeezed), over time I can tolerate much more negative pressure(and dive deeper) without feeling like I need to cough.

Depth is not the only thing to consider, I dive in a t shirt. Diving in cold water with a 6 mil suit is a different animal. I suspect you would be much more at risk for squeeze.
 
Unfortunately I had a bad case of coughing again yesterday. I had to abort diving then, because every time I started to dive down,I had to cough again and dives got worse and worse. The water was warm though.
I somehow think it's related to my head position. I had to watch out a lot for other divers not to hit them.
Anyway I keep up the lung stretching and hope it helps. Is there any way to stretch the trachea?

p.s.: did any of you guys that are also prone to trachea squeezes try to suck up your diaphragm voluntary while having contractions? I guess that should give the trachea some more 'space' to move? I thought about that after the diving session and it makes sense to me, but I don't want to risk even more severew squeezes.
 
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Looking down during the dive, stretching the neck and trachea, will definitely increase squeeze problems.

Going out on a limb here, but coughing sounds like lung squeeze, not trachea. Looking down is bad for both.
 
Coughing is a common problem when your trachea is squeezed? And my throat is sore today.
 
fear/alertness of hitting something can give me very shallow squeezes 25+. On the other hand i do not have any problems looking wherever i want to past 60m while feeling safe. regards

ps: note the connection of my two examples! (need for knowing what´s around and moving the head)
 

So what's actually casuing the squeeze if it's not the moving? Early contractions? Tension?
 
sai said:
So what's actually casuing the squeeze if it's not the moving? Early contractions? Tension?
Click to expand...

actually? for me "alertness" as the cause is actual enough... would be fun to read a biomechanical explanation too for sure.

...yes - if i pick one of your guesses, i´d say alertness is a tension.
 
Hey,

your "Depth was never more than 25 meters on full lung, so I really wasn't near RV."-Statement is actually pretty bald. Because most Divers will reach their Residual Volume between 20 and 30m. E.G.: a diver has a Total lung Capacity of 6 liter, and RV is usually around 25% of TLC. This diver will reach his RV at exactly 30m.
Be a diver like me whos RV is slightly larger then 25%, you will reach it shallower.

For you coughing: Step outside and check unusual things that often times get overlooked. A Buddy of mine for example loves to prepare with face to the bottom and breathing through his snorkel. He often reported of getting a "try throat" and urge to cough because of the snorkel. Are you doing the same thing? Also are you hydrated and did you drink before diving? People that talk a long period for example also constantly sip water because of a dry throat.

I wish you plenty of time-bending dives with your buddy. =)
 
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